Sleeping on the Couch
by bookwormwithanattitude
Summary: A series of 3 short Haruka x Michiru fics set after various moments in S. "All that mattered was that Michiru preserved Haruka's purity. She had after all, thrown her own purity away a long time ago- the second she had given into selfishness and loneliness and dragged Haruka into this mess."
1. Purity and Pain

**A/N: A series of 3 short fics set after particular moments in Sailor Moon S. This one is set just after episode 102.**

**Purity and Pain**

Haruka was spread out on Michiru's couch, her feet dangling off the armrests. Michiru sat in an armchair across from her, watching her snore.

It was so stupid Haruka wouldn't sleep in her bed.

"I can't kick you out," she'd protested. "The couch is fine for me."

"Don't be silly, you're injured," Michiru snapped.

"Look, if it's that big a deal, I can drive back to my place."

"I refuse to let you do that. You're dead on your feet and there's no reason to make you go home. If you're worried about kicking me out of bed, I could…it's a big bed, so we could just…share."

Haruka stared at her for a second. Michiru did her best to keep her face impassive.

"N-no… that's… I'm not going to impose…the couch is definitely a better plan."

Michiru shook her head as Haruka turned away. The woman would flirt with anything that moved, but the thought of a little intimacy turned her into a deer in headlights.

Of course, would Michiru have been able to restrain herself in the same bed with Haruka? Or would she have ended up "compromising the mission"?

Well, if Haruka refused to sleep comfortably, Michiru certainly wasn't going to either. She couldn't stand the thought of being all alone in her huge bed while Haruka slept just a few feet away. So she sat here, her eyes fastened on Haruka's bandaged arm.

It was the second time in a short period Haruka had been injured like this during combat. She was a failure. She had vowed to protect Haruka through everything, but she was letting her get hurt- over and over again.

There were different levels of pain, too. What if Tsukino Usagi's heart had really been a talisman? Would Haruka have gone through with it? Would she have been able to cause the death of that girl?

Michiru knew the answer.

She'd realized it today when they both watched Usagi Tsukino get her heart ripped out that second time. She had felt Haruka shaking beside her, and had looked over to see Haruka had closed her eyes, unable to watch, rejecting what was happening on every level.

_Ah. _Michiru had thought numbly. _As soon as the talisman appears…_ _I will have to kill the girl myself._

Haruka was so honest with her feelings. But it wasn't an honesty expressed in words. It was an honesty that showed on her face, the same face that Michiru gazed at now- a face with soft features, long beautiful eyelashes, pouting lips. A face, that was, in every way, the face of an innocent.

And Michiru would make sure that it stayed that way.

When they found the talisman, there would be no slow death for its bearer deprived of a heart. Michiru would kill them with her own hands, before Haruka could react. Haruka would just be a witness…an innocent bystander. The weight of sin would be entirely on Michiru. Haruka would abandon Michiru afterwards, unable to think of her the same way. But that did not matter. All that mattered was that Michiru preserved Haruka's purity. She had thrown her own away a long time ago, the second she had given into selfishness and loneliness…and dragged Haruka into this mess. This was her responsibility. She could not burden Haruka any more than she already had. She could not taint her.

Michiru slowly got up from the chair and walked over to Haruka sound asleep on the sofa. Haruka's face was beaded with perspiration. Perhaps she was feverish because of her wound. She moaned a little.

"Shhh," Michiru smoothed Haruka's sweatsoaked hair back. Haruka was too deep a sleeper to wake at her touch. Michiru bought two fingers to her lips, kissed them, and then lightly brushed those fingers on Haruka's forehead. She took Haruka's hand, which was trembling a little, even in her sleep.

"You don't have to worry anymore," Michiru whispered. "I'll take care of you."


	2. Loneliness and Lies

A/N: This takes place just after episode 112.

**Loneliness and Lies**

Michiru had insisted on taking the couch. Haruka knew this was a dig at her, in typical Michiru style. She decided to passive aggressively respond the same way Michiru had- by also refusing to take the bed.

She sat beside Michiru on her couch. The TV was playing, but neither of them were really paying attention. Haruka stole glances at the girl beside her and she could feel Michiru stealing glances at her when she was working.

Haruka felt utterly exhausted and she was sure Michiru felt the same. They had both had their hearts ripped out today and all. Yet here they were, pretending they weren't tired.

"You lied to me," she said to Michiru, finally. "You never planned to keep your end of our deal."

She expected for Michiru to deny it, to say she hadn't meant to, to give some sort of justification. But she didn't. She simply nodded.

"Why…did you lie to me?" Haruka's heart beat a little faster as she asked the question. She both dreaded and anticipated the answer. "You were the one who came up with the deal in the first place…"

Michiru gave a faint smile. "I think you can figure out the answer."

Haruka snorted, crossing her arms. "It was unfair of you."

"Haruka, what about our situation was ever fair?" Michiru said lightly.

"No. No, you can't brush this off." Haruka sprang up from the couch, pointing her finger like a malediction. "You set it up so I'd have to be alone, but you wouldn't be. It was selfish!"

"Yes." Michiru responded, meeting Haruka's incensed glare with a cool, steady gaze. "Yes, I am a selfish person. I've never pretended otherwise. Getting you involved with me in the first place was selfish. It was the least I could do to ensure you wouldn't get hurt."

"But I did get hurt!" Haruka burst out.

"Yes, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you-"

"No!" Haruka interrupted her. She couldn't believe she had to say this. "Watching you die! That hurt! I think it hurt more than dying myself!"

Michiru looked surprised for the first time. She blinked and looked down at her lap. "…Oh."

"What, you didn't realize that?" Haruka put her hands on her hips.

"Honestly?" Michiru raised her chin, a hard look in her eyes. "No. I didn't think it would be nearly as painful for you to lose me as it would be for me to lose you." She hesitated. "I still don't."

Haruka snorted. "Wow." She flopped back down on the couch, as angrily as possible. "Wow. I'll be sure not to tell anyone that elegant graceful genius Michiru is so damn childish that she plays the "but I love you more" game."

Michiru raised an eyebrow. "Love?"

Haruka flushed. "It's…it's an expression. _Anyway," _She leaned toward Michiru, bracing her hands on her knees. "Why do you think I became a Sailor Senshi in the first place?"

Michiru bit her lip, lacing her fingers together. "I…assumed…it was guilt after my little display…and a desire to protect this world…"

"No, dammit!" Haruka spat. "It's because…because I saw that you weren't running away…you were taking on everything by yourself. All of the burdens. And I wanted to share them. Because I…" she flushed even harder. "I really care about you. More than anyone I've ever met…almost." Haruka tilted her head so her hair covered her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to look at Michiru.

She waited for Michiru to speak. Just when the silence had gotten excruciating, she felt a cool hand slip into her own.

"Thank you," Michiru said softly. She squeezed Haruka's hand.

"Just…" Haruka muttered. "Just…don't try to take it all on yourself, anymore, okay? We're partners in this. We're supposed to take it all on together."

Michiru giggled. It was odd to hear such a young-sounding, unrestrained, sweet little laugh coming from her, but at the same time it fit her perfectly. "My, but wouldn't Usagi and the others be floored to hear the cold-hearted Uranus talking like this."

"Shut up," Haruka muttered.

Michiru continued to giggle, but her laughter was broken off by a yawn.

"Excuse me," she said, putting a hand to her mouth, her cheeks turning a little pink.

"If you're tired…" Haruka hesitated, turning pink to match Michiru. "Well, feel free to sleep on me."

Michiru didn't need to be told twice. She snuggled up to Haruka's shoulder, a blissful smile on her face.

Haruka enjoyed the feeling of Michiru's warm weight on her shoulder. She ran her fingers through her soft hair, curling a wavy lock around her index. Then, after a minute of watching Michiru breathe steadily, Haruka took Michiru's hand and quickly, covertly kissed it, her lips brushing lightly against smooth skin. Michiru's mouth turned upward a little. As Haruka had thought, she wasn't actually asleep yet.

"Don't worry by yourself anymore," Haruka muttered to her companion as her eyes drooped. She rested her head on Michiru's and leaning on each other, they fell asleep.


	3. Speeding Up

A/N: Takes place after Haruka and Michiru leave town in episode 126.

**Speeding Up**

"So what do we do now?" Michiru adjusted her ponytail as the two of them sped out of Tokyo. She enjoyed the feeling of the wind against her face. She gazed Haruka's profile beside her outlined in the golden glow of the sky and took in the joy that shown on Haruka's face when her hands guided the steering wheel. Cruising with Haruka in her car along the beach. There was nothing better.

"Do?" Haruka asked.

"Yes. Our mission is finally over. The whole world is open to us," Michiru said with a mischievous smile.

"I kind of want to get in a big bed and sleep for a while," Haruka said.

"Oh," Michiru felt as if her heart had dropped a few inches in her chest.

"And I was sort of wondering…" Haruka hesitated, the steering wheel trembling a little under her grip. "Well, you know…would you like to… share that big bed with me…tonight?"

Michiru's heart rose again. In answer, she leaned over and kissed Haruka on the mouth.

"Oy, M-Michiru!" Haruka sputtered, trying desperately to keep control of the steering wheel. "You're going to cause an accident!"

"My apologies," Michiru settled back into the passenger seat, tittering a little.

"Honestly," Haruka said, beat red. "We'll have plenty of time for that later."

"Well, let's hurry to our bed then," Michiru said, leaning back in her seat with a contented smile. "We have a lot to catch up on."


End file.
